The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-11-19
go down this, fill the bucket, climb
to the surface and pull it up.

A
little gulch half mile away. l
only had a view of it between two
rocks, and whatever it was passed
so quickly that l was not sure.
However, | waited for a couple of
hours, and then seeing nothing
further, concluded l was mistaken
and went down in the shaft. / filled
the bucket with very heavy ore,
climed up and had it about half
raised when a man came walking
up the creek toward me. Then l
knew that l was right before.
THE OWNER AND WINCHESTER
APPEAR.
"He was an ugly looking Gus
toner, big and brawny, with fat,
Scandinavian face, and carried a
Winchester on his arm. | had a
little stick that l slipped into the
windlass handle near the axle to
keep it from turning backward, and
leaving the bucket just where it was
suspended half way up, started
toward the cabin to get my arms.
He covered me with his repeating
rifle and ordered me to halt.
"What are you doing on my
claim?" he said.
"I reckon you can see,' | replied
putting as good a face on it as |
possibly could.
"'You mean you've jumped it,
YOU cursed thief!'
"'No, l don't. There wasn't
enough work OH it to hold it, and
it was as much mine as anybody's.
"'You lie ~
"He looked at me over the sights
for a full minute with his wicked
grcenish eyes. Then he said:
Ibid you ever pray"
AYES | faltered.
THEN PRAY NOW. ILL GIVE YOu
TWO MINUTES To DO IT.
"By that time my mind was clear
enough to take in the whole situa
ton, and | had no doubt but he in
tended to murder me then and
there. With me out of the way
there would be no one to testify tc
the insufficient work and | would
simply be regarded-if the story Of
my death was ever told--as claim
Jumper who had been justly dealt
with. l felt my knees begin to
trcmble and tried another rock
"'If you kill me- said, my
partner will be back and sec that
you hang for it,
"Ill fix your partner the same
way, you claim-jumping cur
'~True enough. Nothing would
be easier than to assassinate Burke
on his return. and we had SO jeal
ously guarded the secret of our triI
that no one would know where tc
search for us. We would simply
disappear, as hundreds of pros
pectors do. never to be seen by mer
again, and speedily to be forgotten
l had no hope of mercy from the
instant / looked into the mans
cruel face. felt, with sickenins
oualm and a wild drumming in my
ears, that my time had come.
"'FoR HEAVENS SAKE DON'T MURDEi
ME. TWILL CO.
1.-THE man made no reply. For +;
moment my head swan, and then
with a sudden return of vision thai
was excruciating in its clearncss
saw him stoop sligatly, rest the CUR
barrel over the windlass handle
and marked even the slight con
traction of the eyelid that always
lust precedes a shot. The next in
slant there was crash, an explo
sion and cry, all mingled int
one. l saw the man turning heat
over heels down the embankment
the Winchester flying through tn
air, and all the while heard a low
monotonous, whirring noise tina
was like some gigantic clock run
ming down.
Il did not realize it at the time
but this is what had happened
When he rested his gun across tn
windlass he dropped the barre
right against the little stick l ha'
thrust in to prevent it turning am
knocked it out. l suppose tn
bucket of ore weighed $50 pounds
and the great iron handle, swinging
clear around, gained such terrific
momentum that when it struck hin
full in the face, which it did,
lifted him off his feet like cannon
ball. The gun was discharged b.
the shock, but the bullet went no
where near me. Before / regaine'
nv senses 1 heard the bucket strlk
the bottom with a smash.
"When l picked up the man h
was unconscious, but moaning
little, and blood was trickling gu
of his ears. His gun was broker
TIE LAY AT THE CABIN FOR WEE
OR TWO,
: And after Charley got back W
, managed to get him to Silver Cit,
t There the doctors put his face In
sort of plaster-of-paris case, bu
although the wound healed ne wa
, out of his head and eventually dice